How often do we stumble upon a blockbuster flick that doesn’t quite get its due roses when it comes to the box office? Some films become instant classics, drawing audiences from every corner and grossing millions of dollars at the box office. However, there are some hidden gems that may not have received the recognition they deserve, despite their indescribable brilliance. One such film is The Shawshank Redemption, which starred Tim Robbins in the leading role.
The 1994 film, helmed by Frank Darabont (The Green Mile and The Mist), has endured the test of time and remains an unlikely classic. Despite receiving critical acclaim and seven Oscar nominations, The Shawshank Redemption did not perform well at the box office.
Robbins, who played Andy Dufresne in the film, provided his explanation for why this might have happened in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2019. The actor pointed the finger at the ‘title’.
The Shawshank Redemption: Tim Robbins’ Explanation for the Film’s Commercial Misfire
Even among those who have not seen it, Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption has come to be a symbol of high-caliber cinema. For nearly two decades, it has been the most popular film among the Top 250 on the platform. In fact, websites like LADBible have declared it to be the “best film ever made”. However, the film’s unsteady beginning has been entirely eclipsed by its current prominence.
Surprisingly for many, the film did poorly at the box office upon its initial 1994 release. In its first theatrical run, the movie only made $16 million, hardly covering its $25 million budget (Box Office Mozo). True, the film had a fantastic awards season, earning seven nominations for Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which helped to rekindle interest in the movie and ultimately led to a theatrical re-release.
How could a movie that is today regarded as a groundbreaking classic get off to such a poor start? Tim Robbins, one of its stars, has put the blame on the title. In 2019, the actor discussed why the incredibly watchable movie did not execute well at the box office in an interview with EW:
“When it came out, and was not well received at the box office, there were various reasons given: Well, it’s the title, no one can remember the title. And that makes sense too, because for years after that film came out, people would come up to me and say, “You know, I really liked you in that film Scrimshaw Reduction” or “Shimmy, Shimmy, Shake” or “Shankshaw” — you know, so many different ways that people got it wrong.”
William Sadler, Bob Gunton, and Morgan Freeman also starred in the movie.
Why The Shawshank Redemption’s Title Failed to Stick in Your Mind
The name of a movie often determines its level of success. Both word-of-mouth and a trailer can successfully market a film to viewers. According to actor Morgan Freeman, this was the main cause of The Shawshank Redemption’s initial box office failure.
Even for those who had seen the movie, the title was so “terrific” that they could not accurately recommend it. In 2014, Freeman told Vanity Fair:
“Nobody could say ‘Shawshank Redemption’. Your friends say, ‘Ah, man, I saw this movie, The … what was it? Shank, Sham, Shim? Something like that. Anyways, terrific.’ Well, that doesn’t sell you.”
Freeman also compared “Shawshank’s” popularity to a slow-growing “oak tree”. Ironically, a title that was once thought to be indistinguishable is now so well-known. In 1995, it was the most popular video rental when it was released on VHS. Variety claimed there were over 320,000 rentals distributed in the United States that year.
Despite a poor start at the box office, The Shawshank Redemption has since become a beloved classic, frequently touted as one of the greatest films of all time. It is a timeless and enduring work of cinema because of its themes of friendship, hope, and redemption, which have found resonance with viewers worldwide.
The Shawshank Redemption can be rented on Apple TV.
